Elevator.



C. D. SEEBERGER.

ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9I4.

1,231,075 Patented June 26,1917.

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C. D. SEEBERGER.

ELEvMoR.

AFPLICAlON FILED JULY 5 9)4. 1,231,075. Patented June 26, 1917.

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CHARLES I). SEEBERGER, :0F NEW YORK, AN. Y.

ELEVATOR.

`Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented-June 26, 1917.

Appli-cation -'1edvJ'111y8, 1914. YSerial No. 849,673.

To @ZZ whom z' may concern:

Se it known that I, =CHARLES fD. SEEBER- cnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented `certain new and useful Improvements in Elevators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. e

My invention relates to elevators, yand particularly to an organ-izationin which asolenoid is the actuating Vmeans for the-elevatorcar and also is vutilized as a coun-terbalance to the car.

The invention consists in the matters'hereinafter described and pointed out Ain the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment ofniy invention,

Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing an installation of my invention in anelevator-well or hatchway, parts being broken away along .the length of the well Efor purposes of illustration; i

Fig. 2 is a view showing an Velectrically operated counterweight in vertical section and its opposite guides in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vsection ofthe parts of Fig. 2;

Fig. fl is a View of the parts shown .in Fig. 9. with some of them in section and others in top plan;

Fig. 5 is a detail View partly in top plan and partly in cross-section showing a brake;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. `5 showing another brake.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the car provided with a currentfreversing switch, and Fig. S isa view similarzto Fig. 3 .showing a polarized .switchin circuit with the counterweigh-t.

In the drawings the reference letters A A2 represent the side guides of an elevatorshaft or well having the usual machine-finished contacting surfaces a for tthe guides a of the car A andan unfinished weba2 :torfthe car-brake. The shaft is providedat its .top and bottom with sheaves .a3 over each of which a cable a4 runs that is attached at one end to the car and at its other end to the variable counterbalance designated generally by the letter B. These parts are indicated in Fig. l in which the structure between the car and counterbalance is broken away to showfthatthe hatchor well.may eX- tend any suitable distance through a plurah trical connection-aG yto a source of electrical supplyor power (not shown) and also having any suitable means to furnish constant electric current to the guide-rails Z) upon which the insulated guides Z2 of the counterbalance vB run. These guide rails are insulatedly attached at their ends to the top and bottom lframe-work of the shaft, at one side of the vpath of travel of the car, which carries a pair of trolley-arms a7 in electrical connection with the controller as shown in Fig. l and in contact with the rails to furnish constant current to them.

The counterbalance is made up of a plurality of superposed metallic rings or annuli B having interior recesses to receive the coils vor windings forming the magnetic.

field, the -recessesbeing formed on their undersides so that the inwardly-projecting top edges of the rings will provide pole pieces, the recess in the lowest ring being closed by a plain polepiece b2, all as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The counterbalance is provided at its top with an insulated head b3 carrying a pair of spring-pressed trolley-arms C and C pivoted on plates c and contacting with and taking current from the opposite guide-rails b. The head and each pole-piece carries an insulated shoe or brush designated by the reference letters D, '.D, D2 and D3 respectively,fthe brushes facing inwardly and being provided with spring-pressed faces. The brushes D and D2 are electrically connected with the trolley C by conductors and m, yand the brushes D and D3 are electrically connected with the trolley C by conductors jl/ and y as shown. The conductor x from fthe trolley C has a branch e leading to thel top coil of the field, and all of the cbils or windings of the rings B are connected so thatthe field circuits are inthe same direction through the successive coils down to the lowest, which is connected by the conductor w to the opposite trolley C, allas shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By this arrangement the field pole pieces are successively positive and negative, the polarity of the pole pieces being determined by the direction ofthe current in the field.

The bore of the counterbalance surrounds with Aclearance thevcore designated generally containing its coils or windings, and each pole-piece is provided with outwardly eX- tending contacts7 here shown in the form of headed-pins F and G, in electrical connection with the coils or windings of the core and in the path of the field brushes. The direction of the winding of the core includes its poles or magnets in alternative position and negative groups as shown in Fig. 3. By this arrangement the armature or core circuit of each group may be reversed. In the position shown in Fig. 3, for example, when the controller is manipulated to send current to the rails Z1 it flows from one rail through trolley C and brush D to the contact F with which this brush is in electrical engagement and down through the armature or core windings to .the contact in engagement with the brush D and thence by conductors y and 1/ to the trolley C and the other rail, thereby including in this circuit all the poles of the core between the brushes D and D and the current also passes by conductor to brush D2 and its contact F and the armature windings up to brush D and down to the brush D3 and out by conductors y and y to trolley C, with the result of providing positive and negative poles in the core as shown, the brushes being located to keep the field poles in the lead or advancing ahead of the core poles. At the same time the current from trolley C flows through the branch e to the field windings thereby magnetizing the field poles of the rings B with t-he result that the solenoid formed by the rings is pulled along by the magnetic attraction of the opposite poles and the magnetic repulsion of like poles on the core and solenoid to bring opposite poles on the two parts into register. When this occurs the core circuits between the brushes D, D, D2 and D3 are reversed, and when this reversal of the currents-in the core windings occurs all the core poles in the armature circuits change from positive to negative and vice versa. As the solenoid or field poles of the rings retain their original polarity by reason of their current continuing to flow in the same direction through their windings, the solenoid poles are further pulled along by the magnetic repulsion of poles of unlike polarity, this action occurring in all the solenoid poles with the result that the counterbalance is drawn along the core by the successive magnetizing of the coils, and as this reversal of the core circuits will alternately occur by the lead of the field poles as long as the rails b are included in the circuit by the operator in the car through the controller a5 the counterbalance may be made to travel along the core at a speed in proportion to the number and strength of the magnets or the strength of the current.

As the strength of the current to the trolley C may be varied by the controller the counterbalancing effect of the parts B may be varied and the equilibrium between it and the weight of the car and its load controlled to cause the car to travel. For eX- ample, if the car weighs one thousand pounds and its load weighs the same, the counterbalance may be designed to weigh fifteen hundred pounds and the pull eX- erted by the core on the solenoid composed of the rings of the counterbalance to cause the latter to travel down the core may be increased beyond the difference between them to cause the car to move upward, while when the pull on the solenoid is reduced below the difference in weight of the loaded car and counterweight the car will travel downward by gravity. Also by this invention the electrical operation of the counterbalance in either direction may be accomplished by reversing the direction of the field current by leading it in through the rail coperating with the trolley C and so causing the counterweight to travel up its core to move the car downward. For this purpose a pole-changer or current-reversing switch Xin the car may be employed to cutout the circuit including the brushes D, D, D2 and D3 and to cut-in the circuit including a second set of brushes D4 having an opposite lead to the first set and contacting with pins G in the core windings. By this arrangement the current is led in by the opposite rail and trolley C and passes through the field coils in the opposite direction. As shown for example in Fig. 8, a polarized switch X on the counterweight and appropriately connected in circuit therewith is shifted when the polarity of the circuit is shifted by the pole-changer X, and so operates to reverse the circuit through the core as well as to cut-out either set of brushes; the circuit through the core is maintained in the same Vdirection while the switch X is set in one position, and is reversed when the switch is shifted. The counterbalance may thus be moved in either direction along its core to raise or lower the car.

The devices disclosed are typical of forms that may be employed, any analogous arrangement of like parts constituting a selfstarting motor in which the magnetic attraction and repulsion between :the .magnetic field of the solenoid comprising the counterweightof the car and the armature or core serves .to pull :the vcounter-weight .along its core to linove'the carin v.the shaft.

Theelevator car is provided with an electric `brake .so arranged that when full .current is supplied tothe rails the brake `will be inoperative and when the current is shut off or fails the brake `will operate. In Fig. 5 I show an embodimentofa brake for this purpose, in which the 1controlling `solenoid magnet fH yis connected in the circuit 'leading from the controller tothe trolleys a as shown in .1F ig. l, and fthe projecting `end of the ,armature or core H is provided vwith opposite Afixed heads Ji., L. acting when the core is moved in either direction to compress a coiled spring h3 :loca-ted in a .suitable container indicated by the reference letter h4. The corecarriesan opposite ,pair of pivoted toggle arms `I to the outer end. of each of which a lever arm I2 is pivoted, and the lever arms are carried laterally and crossed at their pivot joint on the underside of the car and with their gripping faces 2 inthe plane of lthe unfinished web a2 ofthe car railsas shown in F ig. 5. Vhen no current is .supplied ,to A`the magnet H `the parts stand inthe positions shown in Fig. 5, -the expandingaction Aof the spring .holding` the heads of the ycore at :the ends of the container to cause 'the brake arms to grip the rails; when current 4is supplied to lthe magnet one of the heads of the core (depending on thedirection of the current in the magnet) isdrawn into ithecontainer putting the springunder tension and moving-the toggle arms to thecorresponding dotted line positionandreleasingthe clamping action-of the lever arms on the rail. lVhen the current is shutoff yor fails Vthe yspring returns the lparts to the positions shown in Fig. 5 and the brake -is .set on the rails. It is to be .understood .that in `practice a duplicate brake is provided on the car foreach car-rail.

The co-unterbalance is also provided with a pair of electrically :operated brakes cooperating with the rails @,and .so arranged that theyoperate when current is shut off or fails on 'these rails and are inoperative when full current is supplied to them. `In Fig. 6 I show an embodiment of a vbrake for this purpose in which the controlling magnet K is carried on the lower end of the counterbalance and is :inabranch ,i/Qof the circuit y the counterbalance :the magnet 'K draws the armature or cores /t' Vinwardly vtoward each other to place the spring c undertonsionand operate the lever arms .to release the grips m2.frorn 'the rail., and ywhen the current is shut off or fails the spring expands to returnthe partslto their normal positions shown in Fig. G :to cause the grips to engage the rail. lItis to be understood. that in practice a duplicate rbrake isprovided on the counterbalance foreach rail 7).

The brakes on the car and on the counterbalance are controlled bythe controller in the car, and the brake-magnets may be made varifably'sensitive orresponsive to an amount or character of current that Willnot magnetize the .field-magnets, so that when the car descends yby gravity current may be supplied by ,the controller to the brake-magnets to prevent the brakes being fully set by their springs and allow the brakes to drag more or less on their rails but which will not excite the field-magnets. By this means the speed of the car in its descent may be ygoverned by the friction ofthe brakes on their rails, and this may be supplemented if desired by a suitable speed governor S acting on the sheave a3.

By this invention I provide an `equipose elevator having an electricallyvariable counterweight to cause the car to ltravel in its shaft or well; the movement ofthe car is caused by magnetic attraction and repulsion between the poles or magnetsof the field of the counterbalance and those of its core, and the coils of the core magnets are eX- cited in groups to change the direction of the current in cach group by the moving counterbalance through rsuitable brushes affixed to it and provided with current from the car-controller through the structure lon which the counterbalance runs. rIhe descent of the car may be by gravity or by reversal of current inthe eld, and it may be controlled by the variable brakes, which may be only on either thefcar or the counter-balance, or on both, and which are electrically operated from the car-controllerthat governs the counterbalance.

I claim l. In a deviceY of the class described., an

oppositely to the travel of the car, flexible connections between the car and counterbalance, guide-rails'on which the counterbalance runs, means in the car to supply electric current to either of said rails, and means on the counterbalance to lead the current from either rail to reverse its direction in the field of the counterbalance.

3. Ina device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, an electrically propelled counterbalance, flexible connections between the counterbalance and car, guide-rails on which the counterbalance runs, means in the car to supply electric current to either of said rails, and trolleys on the counterbalance to lead the current from either rail to reverse its direction in the field of the counterbalance.

4. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, a traveling counterbalance by which the movement of the car is controlled and forming a magnetic eld, a magnetic core by which the field is moved to actuate the car, means in the car to energize and denergize the field, and means on the counterbalance to successively energize the core magnets.

5. In a device of the class described,an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, a traveling counterbalance by which the movement of the car is controlled and forming a magnetic field, a magnetic core by which the field is actuated to move the car, an electriccontroller in the car in circuit with the field, and brushes on the counterbalance to excite the core magnets.

6. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, an electrically propelled counterbalance by which the car is moved in the shaft and comprising a moving magnetic field and a stationary core forming a self-starting motor, guides for the field, means controlled in the car to supply current to the guides, and trolleys on the field contacting vwith the guides.

7. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, an electrically propelled counterbalance moving oppositely to the travel of the car, connections between the car and counterbalance by which the car is moved in the shaft, guiderails for the counterbalance, an electric current controller in the car, means on the car to supply current to the rails, and means on the counterbalance to take current from the rails.

8. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, an electrically propelled traveling counterbalance by which the car is moved, guide-rails for the counterbalance, an electric-current controller in the car, trolleys on the car in circuit with the controller and th-e guiderails, and trolleys von the counterbalance in circuit with the guide-rails and electric propelling devices of the counterbalance.

9. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel ina shaft, a traveling magnetic field forming a counterbalance by which the car is moved, a magnetic core by which the field is moved to actuate the car, an electric-controller in the car having electrical connections to energize and denergize the field and core, an elec-v trically operated brake on the car, and electrical connections between the brake and controller to release the brake when the field is moved.

10. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, a magnetic field forming a traveling counterbalance by which the car is moved, a magnetic core by which the field is moved to actuate the car, an electric controller in the car in circuit with the field, an electrically operated brake on the counterbalance, and electrical connections between the brake and controller to release the brake when the field is energized.

1l. In a device of the class described, an elevator car adapted to travel in a shaft, a magnetic field forming a traveling counterbalance by which the car is moved, a magnetic core by which the field is moved to actuate the car, an electric-controller in the car in circuit with the field, an electrically operated brake on the counterbalance, an electrically operated brake on the car, and electrical connections between the brakes and controller to release the brakes when the field is energized.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES D. SEEBERGER.

Witnesses:

EMMA B. SEEBERGER, BERTHA E. Bnssn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

